Demolition of Grogol wall continues amidst protest<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Tension flared yesterday when dozens of
\nyoungsters tried, unsuccessfully, to prevent some 100 city police
\nfrom demolishing a wall surrounding a 1.5-hectare plot of land in
\nGrogol, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Claiming to be the rightful owners of the plot, the angry
\nyouths brandished sticks and iron bars while others stood in the
\nway of the police to prevent the demolition.<\/p>\n
\"If you have any problems or complaints regarding the
\ndemolition, you can bring them to the West Jakarta mayoralty,\"
\nhead of the West Jakarta security and order department, Karsidin,
\ntold the youths.<\/p>\n
Two people were reportedly detained for disrupting security on
\nthe scene.<\/p>\n
Karsidin said he was only implementing an order of the
\ngovernor. The crowd, however, told him that the Jakarta State
\nAdministrative Court had issued a legal order on Wednesday to
\npostpone the demolition.<\/p>\n
The land in dispute was previously used by local residents as
\na soccer field. It was also reported Last November, that the plot
\nhad been fenced in by PT Sabar Ganda, a private company which
\nplanned to use the land for a school building.<\/p>\n
The West Jakarta mayoralty issued an order on Jan. 29 to
\ndemolish the wall, prompting Sabar Ganda to file a lawsuit with
\nthe state administrative court.<\/p>\n
\"We'll continue to defend our rights,\" a lawyer representing
\nthe company said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The plot is part of a 20-hectare area, which, in 1968, was
\nhanded over from the city police to the city administration for
\nsocial and public facilities. But sources at the West Jakarta
\ncity administration say that the government plans to build a mini
\nstadium on it.<\/p>\n
A number of land demolition cases, regarded as potentially
\nvolatile and destabilizing in nature, have been recorded in
\nJakarta in recent months. Most end up with residents squaring off
\nagainst government officials.<\/p>\n
Karsidin said, however, that this latest demolition reflects
\nthe city administration's vow to punish those who violate
\nregulations regarding land use and ownership.(14)<\/p>",
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